Merry-go-round.



No. 772,549. A MTBNTBD om?. 1a,19o4.

(L P. WmnNBR.

MERRY-GO-ROUND.

APPLIQATION FILED Nov. s, 1903. v

No MODEL. l 2 sEmTs-smM 1.

WITNESSES llWEf/TR l TTOHIVEYS PATENTBD 001318, 1904.

No, 772,549. Y

` C: P. WEIDNBR.

MBRRY-GmROUNn APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9, 1903.

No MODEL.

lllllH www i l ,s rmmsrs l UNITED :STATES Patented October 18, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. IWEIDNER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MEsRY-Go-RQUND.

SPECIFICATION forming part lof Letters Patent No. 772,549, dated October 18, 1904.

Application iiled November 9, 1903. Serial No. 180.373. (No model.)

T all whom t nfl/Ly concern.:

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. WEIDNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Merry-Go-Rounds, of which the following is a specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates 'to the class of pleasure devices or apparatus known as merrygorounds; and the object thereof is to provide an improved device or apparatus of this class which involves supports for horses or other animals or seats vertically arranged and movable in opposite directions through tracks which cross each other at regular intervals, a further object being to provide a device or apparatus of the class specified the operation of which is designed to give pleasure and' amusement to children and others; and with these and other objects in view the invention consists in a device or apparatus of the class specified constructed as hereinafter described and claimed. v

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, ofwhich the accompanying drawings form a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which* AFigure l is a plan view` of the bottom portion of my improved merry-go-round with parts thereof broken away; Fig. 2, a vertical section .of one side of the entire apparatus on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. yS-a-'section at right angles to that of Fig. 2 and taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. l

In the practice of my invention I provide an apparatus of the class specified comprising a main bottom portion a and top portion o and details of constructionl hereinafter described. The bottom portion a comprises a base a2 vof any suitable construction', preferably concrete or other'solid material, and the bottom portion a is also circular in form, and the top thereof'consists of a platform a3, and between the base a2 and platform fis a plate or' support r. The platform a3 comprises an outer annular portion in the form of constructionshown and a central depressed lportion as', andthe plate or support a* is placed in the louter annular portion of the platform a3 and pluralityof pairs of sprocket-wheels@ and each sprocket-wheel of each pair is lmounted on a shaft c2, and these shafts c2 are vertically arranged, the lower ends thereof passing downwardly through the annular raised portion of the` platform a3 and the upper ends thereof passing upwardly into the top portion of the apparatus.

Centrally of and beneath the central depressed portion a5 of the platform 0.3 is mounted a large gear-wheel c3, having a central internal gear ci, and placed on the central portion a5 of the'platform is a motor c5, provided with a shaft c, having a belt-wheel 07, which is geared in connection with another beltwheel cs by means of a belt 09, mounted on a vertically-arranged shaft d, provided with a small gear-wheel (Z2, which operates in connection with the gear c4 on the gear-wheel 03,

the object of the motor c5 and its connections being to turn the wheelc3, and in the form of vconstruction shown the belt c is crossed, so as to turn the wheel c3 to the left; but any suitable means may be provided for turning the wheel o3. The sprocket-wheels c of one pair of said sprocket-wheels are geared in connection directly with thel wheel c3 by means of 'gears Foperating in connection with corresponding wheels d* on the shafts c2 of said sprocket-wheels, and the sprocket-wheels c of the adjacent pair of said sprocket-wheels are geared in connection with the wheel c3 by means of a gear-wheel Z5 operating in connection with a wheel d, which operates in connection with two gear-wheels (Z7 on the shaft c2 of the said -last-named pair of sprocket-'- wheels, and this alternate style of gearing is yemployed in connection with all the separate IOO pairs of sprocket-wheels and the central gearwheel c3, and by means of this construction the alternate pairs of sprocket-wheels c are moved in opposite directions.

Around the entire apparatus and beneath the annular raised portion of the platform a3 are placed two tracks or ways @,and these tracks or ways cross each other between each of the pairs of sprocket-wheels, as shown at e2, and said tracks or ways on the outer and inner sides of each set or pair of sprocket-wheels comprise an outer raised portion or wall e3 and base portion e4, in which the tracks or ways a7 are formed, and uprightinner members e", arranged centrally between the wheels of each pair or set of sprocket-wheels c.

In the separate tracks or ways e aremounted a plurality of pairs of short drive-chainsf, said pairs of drive-chains equaling in number onehalf of the number of the pairs or sets of sprocket-wheels c employed, and these ehainsf are composed of a central block link f2 and other links f 3, and,if desired,the alternate links may all be block links, and these chains are driven by the s procket-wheels c, as will be readily understood, and in the operation of the apparatus they are carried entirely around and beneath the annular raised portion of the platform a3, said chains being made of such length that they are caught by the sprocket-wheels of one pair before they leave the sprocketwheels of another pair, and said chains cross the tracks of each other at the points e2, as will be readily understood, and between each pair of the sprocket-wheels c are upright members e, which form a part of the tracks or ways e, in which said chains move.

The top portion Z2 of the apparatus comprises a bottom b2 and a cover b3, and the shafts c2, which are arranged in pairs, as hereinbefore described, and which are provided with the sprocket-wheels c, pass upwardly into the top portion b, and these shafts are provided within said top portion each with a sprocket-wheel f, and the sprocket-wheels g are exactly the same as the sprocket-wheels c, and arranged in said top portion are two tracks or ways 71 the form and arrangement of which are similar to the tracks or ways c in the bottom portion (t of the apparatus; but said tracks or ways /L consist of an outer wall h2 and inner bearings 71,3, similar to the corresponding parts di of the tracks or ways e, and said tracks or ways /L have no bottom, and mounted in said tracks or ways are drivechains z', similar to the drive-chains f in the bottom tracks or ways and composed of central block links 2 and other links the same as those in the bottom tracks or ways e.

The block links x12 of the top drive-chains c' and the block links f in the bottom drivechains f are rigidly connected by verticallyarranged rods j, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, and these rods are provided in the top portion of the apparatus with wheels j, which travel on tracks or waysj, and on the rodsj in the form of construccion shown are placed bodies jf, which in the form of construction shown represent horses, but which may represent any other animals or seats or boxes or supports of any kind or class,

As thus constructed, it will be seen that all the shafts c2 are geared in connection with a central drive-wheel c, and this gear is such that the shafts c2, which are arranged in pairs and which are provided with the sprocketwheels e, turn in opposite directions in each pair, and the sprocket-wheel cof each pair is correspondingly operated, and the drivechainSf and vi are moved in opposite directions and cross the tracks of each other between each pair of sprocket-wheels, and by reason of this construction the horses j or other animals or supports employed are moved in opposite directions, the movement thereof being an inward and an outward movement in their respective courses, and b v reason of this arrangement a party or parties sitting on the horses or in or on the other supports provided are also moved in opposite directions and along lines which cross each other at regular intervals, whereby a very pleasing and exciting condition is produced. It will also be observed that the alternate links of the drive-chains j" are also provided with bearing or supporting rollers 1, as shown in Fig. 3, and these rollers move on the bottom of the tracks or ways m7, and the weight of the rods 7' and the load carried thereby are properly supported at all times, the rollers jg at the tops of the shafts j also aiding in accomplishing this result. rlhe u pright rods j also move in slots luf, formed in the annular raised portion of the platform a, and corresponding slots m2, formed in the bottom 2 in the top portion of the apparatus, and the slots m correspond with and follow the same course as the tracks or ways C, in which the chainsfare mounted, and the slots m2 are similarly arranged, and the rods j are thus adapted to move in endless lines which cross each other at regular intervals.

My invention is not limited to the exact details of construction herein shown and described, as it will be apparent that varieus changes therein and modifications thereof may be made without departing from the spirit ol my invention or saerilicing the advantages thereof, and I reserve the right to make all such alterations in the construction herein shown and described as fairly come within the scope of the invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a plurality of pairs of shafts arranged in a circle and provided with sprocket-wheels, devices operating in connection with said shafts for turning the alternate lOO IIO

pairs of shaftsin opposite directions, tracks or ways arranged at thel oppositesides of the sprocket-wheels of the separate pairs of shafts ing vertically through said platform,sprocket wheels connected with said shafts, means for turning the separate pairs ofJ shafts in opposite directions, tracks or ways arranged at the opposite sides of the alternate pairs of shafts and crossing each other between said pairs, a plurality of pairs of drive-chains mounted in said tracks or waysand in connection with which said sprocket-wheels operate, and vertically arranged rods connected with said chains and provided with supports, substantially as shown and described.

3. An apparatus of the class described comprising top and bottom portions, a plurality of vertical shafts arranged in pairs and the ends of which are mounted in said Vtop and bottom portions, sprocket-wheelsconnected with the upper and lower ends of said shafts,

tracks or ways at the opposite sides of the sprocket-wheels of each of said pairs of shafts in the top and bottom portions of the apparatus and crossing each other between said pairs, a plurality of pairs of drive-chains placed in said tracks or ways in the top and bottom portions of the apparatus and adapted to operate in connection with said sprocketwheels, vertically-arranged rods connecting the bottom andy top drive-chains, supports connected with said rods and means for turning the separate pairs of shafts in opposite directions, substantially as shown and described.

4L. An apparatus of the class described, com# prising a central drive-wheel, a pluralityv of pairs of shafts arranged in a circle around said drive-wheel, said pairs of shafts being geared in connection withl said drive-wheel so as to be turned in opposite directions and being also provided with sprocket-wheels, tracks or ways arranged on the opposite sides of the vsprocket-wheels of the separate pairs of shafts and crossing eachother between said pairs, a

plurality of pairs of drive-chains mounted in said tracks or ways and equaling in number one-half the-pairs of shafts and sprockete.

wheels, and vertically-arrangedl supports conand described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention 1 have signed my name, in presence of the subscribing wituesses,this 6th day of November, 1903.

CHARLES F.- WEIDNER.

nected with said chains, substantially as shown Witnesses:

F. A. STEWART, C E. MULREANY. 

